


The Tigress as a Protected Species

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-04
Updated: 2012-03-04
Packaged: 2017-11-01 02:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thrice married life lesson #16: never, ever, ever approach a wounded tigress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tigress as a Protected Species

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know what it is about these prompts that make me want to go back to the beginning of this amazing relationship. But that’s what I've been doing. This was written for sipman’s prompt of ‘I'm gonna say what I need to say’.

“Do you really think it’s alright to touch a woman where she doesn’t want to be touched?”

“Agent Morgan…Agent Morgan, stand down.”

People were starting to pay attention and Erin was mortified. Still, at that exact moment she didn’t know if it was because people were looking or because she’d been sexually accosted in public.

“You're mistaken young man,” the French man said in a heavy accent. “The lady and I…”

“We were nothing, Rene.” Erin replied. “If that behavior passes for romance in your country then France is certainly not as lovely as I remember.”

Rene Neville had been all over Erin since he showed up at Quantico. She’d done her best to be cordial, and tell him in no uncertain terms that she was taken. Even if she wasn’t quite, she wasn’t interested in Rene. He kept pressing though and had finally taken it too far.

“Erin, please…”

“You need to walk away.” Dave said, using everything inside of him not to beat the hell out of the guy. He’d watched all week and there was nothing he could do. He wasn’t going to sit by and watch anymore. This whole thing was supposed to be about diplomacy but Rossi didn’t like this guy from the door. “The lady does not want your attention.”

“Sometimes the lady protests too much.” René replied. “I know exactly what she wants and how to give it to her.”

“You're disgusting.” Erin shook her head. “I can't even…”

Dave turned to walk away, obviously boiling mad. Before Derek could make sense of what happened, he’d turned back and punched René square in his face.

“David!” Erin exclaimed. 

“Rossi, whoa, c'mon.” Morgan grabbed the senior Agent so that he wouldn’t finish the job. There wasn’t much to finish. It took a minute but René finally crumpled to the ground.

“I'm OK Morgan.” Dave shook him off. “I guess you should have someone come and take out the trash though.”

That wouldn’t be a problem since the Deputy Director, Hotch, and several other high ranking agents approached the scene.

“I cannot believe you did that.” Erin spoke through clenched teeth and looked at him with thunderous blue eyes. “Do you feel better now?”

“I do.” Dave nodded. “That guy was a creep…and a bastard.”

“Yes, he was, but I could’ve handled it. I don’t need to be protected by you. I surely don’t need to be overprotected.”

“You're my…” Dave stopped before the words came out of his mouth. 

It wasn’t because he didn’t want the gathering crowd to know. It was mostly because he didn’t quite know himself. He knew what he felt, knew what he wanted to say, but something always stopped him. Sometimes that something was the woman herself. For nine months they'd been doing a beautiful bolero. 

But it still frequently happened in darkness and shadows. Erin was only his when she couldn’t fight the feeling anymore. But she damn sure didn’t want to be with René Neville. Dave could tell from her body language that his advances were unwanted. 

Morgan noticed the same thing and that’s why they both approached the man. He wasn’t doing it because he was Rossi’s friend. He wasn’t a Strauss fan either. He just recognized a woman in an uncomfortable position.

“You should both be written up insubordination.” Erin huffed. “And Agent Rossi you'll be lucky if that man doesn’t have you arrested for assault.”

“I'm not worried about him.” Rossi waved off the notion.

“You're the boss.” Deputy Director Kirk Douglas replied to Erin. “Any write-ups that need to come from this are entirely your decision, Agent Strauss.”

Some other agents had cleaned up René and now it was just Erin, the Deputy Director, Hotch, and his two agents. There was so much she wanted to say but knew if she opened her mouth she would have no control over the tirade. So she just turned on her expensive heels and stormed away.

“Fuckin woman.” Dave tried not to shout but it was clear he was angry.

“Hotch, we were not out of line.” Morgan said. “That guy took it too far. I would've intervened on any woman’s behalf, not just the Section Chief. I should've just left it alone.”

“I doubt she’ll write you up.” Hotch replied, hoping he was right. Sparring with his boss wasn’t on his list of things to do tonight but he’d defend his team like always.

“Erin can wield both her pen and sword mightily.” Kirk said. “Still, at the end of the day Agent Morgan she's a rational woman.”

“Rational?” Dave guffawed. “She is utterly ridiculous.”

“Dave…”

“Oh c'mon Aaron lets be real for a minute.”

“Rossi,” Hotch’s voice was a bit firmer. The party was still going and didn’t need another distraction. “Lets not and say we did, OK? Enough has happened; some of us are feeling excitable.”

“I need a damn drink.” Morgan muttered.

“Good idea Agent Morgan.” Kirk smiled. “I say you get a good, strong one. That’s an order from the Deputy Director.”

“Yes sir.” Morgan managed a smile. When he looked at his Unit Chief, Hotch nodded and Derek got the hell out of dodge. He didn’t know what that was all about and he didn’t want to. Next time Strauss was on her own. No good deed went unpunished tonight.

“I need some air.” Rossi was still angry as he unloosened his tie. 

They were at another stupid cocktail mixer that he hadn't wanted to attend in the first place. Some of Europe’s top law enforcement agencies got together with the FBI to discuss tactics in the War on Terrorism. In a post-9/11 world these kinds of events happened more than they ever did during the Cold War and the decade of relative calm that followed. Deputy Director Douglas, who was also an old friend of Dave’s, wanted him there. 

People wanted to meet the great Dave Rossi…he was practically a brand. And since he wasn’t going to “sell” behavioral analysis, Hotch had no problem with his Senior SSA standing in the spotlight. Kirk liked and respected Hotch as well, though he didn’t exactly care what he thought when it came to this. Sometimes you had to do what you had to do for the job. And right now Kirk was showing off one of his most famous agents.

“She was just pissed, Dave.” Kirk said. “How long have you known her? Erin prefers to remain in control. There is no situation that she can't handle on her own.”

“She's unbearable.”

“I'm ordering a drink for you too, Rossi.” Kirk put his hand on his shoulder. 

Letting out a noise of frustration, Dave walked away from the two men. Hotch looked at the Deputy Director. Kirk wore his usual Zen-like smile. 

“No Agent Hotchner, you don’t want to know.”

“I didn’t think so. Excuse me Mr. Deputy Director.”

“Of course.”

Dave went over to the bar and asked what kind of single malt scotch they carried. One thing about a room full of cops, there was some good liquor flowing. He got a glass of Dalmore before heading out onto the veranda. It was a chilly March night, rain and fog covered the nation’s capital. There was something beautiful about it; Dave turned to the left and saw what it was. 

Erin Strauss was out there alone, cigarette in one hand and martini in the other. He wasn’t sure if approaching was the best plan. Thrice married life lesson #16: never, ever, ever approach a wounded tigress. All contact is seen as potentially dangerous and she will strike. He took a deep breath, taking the chance anyway. This could have something to do with why he was thrice divorced. 

Putting his glass tumbler on the flat stone banister, Dave slipped out of his tuxedo jacket and put it over her bare shoulders and arms. She looked stunning tonight in a black and silver strapless dress with a corset like top and flowing skirt. Dave couldn’t see her shoes but he was sure they were perfect…and sexy. The kind of undergarments a woman wore with that dress made him dizzier than even the best scotch.

“I'm not cold.” She said, not looking at him.

“You're shivering, Erin.”

“I'm pissed off.” she took a deep inhale of the Marlboro Mild.

The slight menthol smell of the cigarette was as familiar to him as her soap or perfume. He loved smelling it in her hair or on her skin. That was strange since Dave was usually turned off by women who smoked. But with Erin, everything was the opposite of as it should be, would be, or ever was.

“Erin…”

“If you even think that I want to hear…”

“You may not want to hear it,” Dave said. “But I'm going to say what I need to say.”

She didn’t object, verbally, she just sipped her drink and smoked her cigarette. Her body language said stay away so Dave gave her physical distance. But he would still talk to her.

“Firstly I would have intervened on any woman’s behalf back there. He was intoxicated and had gone too far. Secondly, it wasn’t just any woman he manhandled. You're…” he knew he better choose his words carefully or he’d be ducking the blows she’d been reserving for René Neville. “Didn’t we decide to stop beating around the bush, Erin? 

“I know I want to and I thought you did too. I wasn’t trying to be a caveman and lay claim to you back there. I was protecting you from potential danger because that’s what a man does for his woman. And maybe I should've let you handle it; I have no doubt you're a formidable woman but that’s not always how it works. 

“Hell, you have every right to be angry about that. Perhaps you wanted to kick him in the balls yourself. But don’t be angry at me for doing what I can't help instinctually. I care about you and I protect you.”

“Did you really have to slug him out in the open that way? There was no other way for it to be done?” Erin mumbled, finishing the martini. She took another deep drag from the cigarette. “You acted like a fuckin caveman, Rossi.”

“I'm not prepared to argue that fact. You don’t often complain when I'm at my most primal.”

Erin didn't reply and Dave didn’t push. He did move closer though, slowly, as he savored his scotch and enjoyed the almost spring rain. The scent of her perfume, Poison by Christian Dior also traveled through the air. Dave was surprised when her hand came back, moving across her dress, and touched his. The feel of her fingers on his created butterflies in his stomach. He laced their fingers and exhaled.

“Are you alright?”

“I'm fine. Unfortunately, in this line of work many men forget we’re their colleagues and imagine we’re the hired entertainment.”

Dave never once thought of a female Agent that way. He’d fucked and dated his fair share over the years. People were only slightly joking when they said the current fraternization rules were in place because of Dave Rossi. But he would never treat any woman, even the hired entertainment, like René treated Erin tonight. And to say the lady protests too much…he was lucky all Dave did was slug him.

“You handled yourself very well, Agent Strauss.” He said.

“Don’t talk anymore.” She replied, putting out her cigarette. She slipped her hand out of his. “I am done playing games, David. That doesn’t always mean I know exactly what's happening.”

“If you have any questions you could just ask.”

“When are you leaving?” she asked. Erin started to make her way back inside.

“As soon as you say the word.” Dave said.

“Thirty minutes. I have to talk to Kirk and then we’ll get out of here.”

“Are you still pissed at me?”

“I'm still pissed. I just want to go home, run a hot bath, and forget about tonight.”

“Let me blow your mind, Erin.”

“I will; I promise.”

Dave watched her walk away, the head tigress licking her wounds before returning to the pride. She was tired and frustrated but had no intention of letting it show. Maybe later, alone in his arms, Erin would release the tension. He would take it from her and replace it with bliss. Just as she had done for him despite every thought he’d had to the contrary.

***


End file.
